Post by David on Jun 28, 2005 12:19:00 GMT -5
The heroes awoke, ate, and were healed in short order. They then accompanied the Caliph's forces up the al-Zalim river in order to stop the swarm of locust-men threatening Muluk. The forces, including 500 cavalry and 1000 infantry made camp and braced for the assault. Shortly after noon, the battle began.
Apparently oblivious to peril of attacking a force 30 times larger, the thri-kree charged into the heart of the human army. Unfortunately, the thri-kree proved not only nearly impervious to missile fire, but the same failed tactics employed by Princess Hadra were repeated by her mother, the Caliph. In the initial charge, only a handful of bugs died while a sizable fraction of the cavalry was slaughtered. The speed and agility of the locust-men allowed them to leap amongst the infantry, resulting in the loss of many men to "friendly fire" from the archers and crossbowmen.
At this point, the heroes entered the fray, joined by a Western druidess, Chloe, impressed into service by the Caliph's forces. Herrid drank of potion that turned his flesh to steel while Ling quaffed a compound that gave her the strength of a giant. In less than a minute, Herrid, Isaac, Flint, Sabuto, Ling, and Harbinder waded through and demolished a rampaging group of thri-kree. Chloe discovered that the monsters did not take well to water; her precipitation spells gave the heroes a slight tactical advantage. Reinforcements came, but were also summarily dealt with. Then the tables turned...
A large group of the bugmen struck, dropping Sabuto, Harbinder, and Flint. Isaac was nearly eviscerated and just as the heroes began to clear themselves, more thri-kree arrived. In the distance, Rashad fell and the Caliph's pavilion was buried under a living avalanche. Once again, Ling's martial defenses (and potion of giant strength) allowed her to retain her feet throughout the fight long enough for the creatures' paralytic venom to wear off her allies. One by one, the other fighters rejoined the fray. Unfortunately, Harbinder was again paralyzed and a bugman decided to start feeding on her! Mortally wounded, Harbinder began to bleed to death, her mental powers insufficient to staunch the flow. Ling, almost on cue, finished off the last of the invaders and cured Harbinder enough for her to regain consciousness.
Flint recovered and set to work tending the wounded. The former-half-elf managed to stabilize Rashad and Ling returned the paladin to consciousness. He then, in turn, healed Harbinder, but it was not enough to save her. Ling then produced a scroll of cure critical wounds and successfully cast it on the Hindi psionist. Restored to nearly full health, Harbinder and Flint together tended to the wounded and dying, saving MANY lives with the combination of their skills.
Shadows lengthened in the heat of the afternoon. Reports came in that only two of the monsters had survived, although more than TWICE the original number of bugs had attacked AND nearly a quarter of the Caliph's forces were slain in the battle. The Caliph, bandaged and covered in both human and insect blood, personally thanked the heroes for their involvement. Wagons began carrying the wounded back to the City of Kings as the populace braced for what could be their last night of Oerth...
...this was, after all, the date some predicted for the Apocalypse...
(eeps were 4498 xps base)
(I originally said +100 xps for those who tended the wounded [Flint, Harbinder, Ling, and Rashad], but I would like to change that to + 500xps for the first two and +250 xps for the latter two [for their support of the former two])
(I would also like to award a Mission Accomplished bonus of +800 xps, although Chloe only gets 1/4 of that as she wasn't on the earlier games )
(I'd like to do the victory feast at the next game; Caliph Aswiyah al-Muftahir doesn't seem to believe in the prophesies [or at least wants it to look that way!])
Apparently oblivious to peril of attacking a force 30 times larger, the thri-kree charged into the heart of the human army. Unfortunately, the thri-kree proved not only nearly impervious to missile fire, but the same failed tactics employed by Princess Hadra were repeated by her mother, the Caliph. In the initial charge, only a handful of bugs died while a sizable fraction of the cavalry was slaughtered. The speed and agility of the locust-men allowed them to leap amongst the infantry, resulting in the loss of many men to "friendly fire" from the archers and crossbowmen.
At this point, the heroes entered the fray, joined by a Western druidess, Chloe, impressed into service by the Caliph's forces. Herrid drank of potion that turned his flesh to steel while Ling quaffed a compound that gave her the strength of a giant. In less than a minute, Herrid, Isaac, Flint, Sabuto, Ling, and Harbinder waded through and demolished a rampaging group of thri-kree. Chloe discovered that the monsters did not take well to water; her precipitation spells gave the heroes a slight tactical advantage. Reinforcements came, but were also summarily dealt with. Then the tables turned...
A large group of the bugmen struck, dropping Sabuto, Harbinder, and Flint. Isaac was nearly eviscerated and just as the heroes began to clear themselves, more thri-kree arrived. In the distance, Rashad fell and the Caliph's pavilion was buried under a living avalanche. Once again, Ling's martial defenses (and potion of giant strength) allowed her to retain her feet throughout the fight long enough for the creatures' paralytic venom to wear off her allies. One by one, the other fighters rejoined the fray. Unfortunately, Harbinder was again paralyzed and a bugman decided to start feeding on her! Mortally wounded, Harbinder began to bleed to death, her mental powers insufficient to staunch the flow. Ling, almost on cue, finished off the last of the invaders and cured Harbinder enough for her to regain consciousness.
Flint recovered and set to work tending the wounded. The former-half-elf managed to stabilize Rashad and Ling returned the paladin to consciousness. He then, in turn, healed Harbinder, but it was not enough to save her. Ling then produced a scroll of cure critical wounds and successfully cast it on the Hindi psionist. Restored to nearly full health, Harbinder and Flint together tended to the wounded and dying, saving MANY lives with the combination of their skills.
Shadows lengthened in the heat of the afternoon. Reports came in that only two of the monsters had survived, although more than TWICE the original number of bugs had attacked AND nearly a quarter of the Caliph's forces were slain in the battle. The Caliph, bandaged and covered in both human and insect blood, personally thanked the heroes for their involvement. Wagons began carrying the wounded back to the City of Kings as the populace braced for what could be their last night of Oerth...
...this was, after all, the date some predicted for the Apocalypse...
(eeps were 4498 xps base)
(I originally said +100 xps for those who tended the wounded [Flint, Harbinder, Ling, and Rashad], but I would like to change that to + 500xps for the first two and +250 xps for the latter two [for their support of the former two])
(I would also like to award a Mission Accomplished bonus of +800 xps, although Chloe only gets 1/4 of that as she wasn't on the earlier games )
(I'd like to do the victory feast at the next game; Caliph Aswiyah al-Muftahir doesn't seem to believe in the prophesies [or at least wants it to look that way!])